(CNN) – Amid calls for tighter restrictions on guns following last week's deadly rampage in Connecticut, Texas Republican Gov. Rick Perry said at a tea party event Monday that anyone with a concealed handgun license in the Lone Star State should be able to take guns on public property – including schools.

"In the state of Texas, with our concealed handgun license, if you have been duly backgrounded and trained and you are a concealed handgun license carrying individual, you should be able to carry your handgun anywhere in this state," said Perry, who later added a person has the right to prohibit guns on their private property.
Provided they have the proper training and license, teachers should have "access to weapons in their school," Perry said. Individual school districts should be able to determine whether or not to allow firearms on their campuses, he said.

At least one school jurisdiction in Texas already allows teachers to carry guns – the Harrold school district, located 175 miles northwest of Dallas, began allowing its employees to carry guns in 2008, as long as they obtained the necessary license.

On Friday, the district's superintendent David Thweatt said the set-up meant his schools were doing everything they could to protect students.

"Is that 100%? No," Thweatt told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "Nothing is 100%. But what we do know is that we've done all we can to protect our children."

The shooting Friday in Connecticut has sparked promises from several federal lawmakers to reintroduce tighter gun control measures, ranging from a reinstatement of a federal ban on assault weapons to banning the sale of high-capacity magazines.

Perry stipulated that lawmakers have a responsibility to "do everything we can to make sure that those types of evils are restricted the best that it can be," but that citizens should be wary of reactive decisions from the federal government.

"One of the things I hope we don't see from our federal government is this knee-jerk reaction from Washington, D.C., when there is an event that occurs that they come in and think they know the answer," Perry said.

On the day of the massacre, Perry requested his state's education commissioner review emergency operation plans in schools, saying it was "essential that we ensure all Texas schools are equipped and ready to carry out a strategic plan to secure the safety of students and staff in the event of a threat such as the one that occurred today."

At the event Monday, Perry also dropped a hint about his political future, including a potential sequel to his failed bid for the 2012 presidential nomination.

The Texas governor said his 2012 run, which ended January, was an "extraordinary experience," and that despite his loss, "I would do it again."

soundoff(761 Responses)

I heard Texas has a clause in there constitution that says they can secede from the union. Why haven't they done that yet? It would be a favor.

December 19, 2012 10:44 am at 10:44 am |

Common Sense

Somebody commented: what if an armed teacher has a meltdown? Well, I could pose that same question regarding arming a cop or a secret service agent. What if they have a meltdown? What if a pilot has a meltdown... he could crash on purpose and kill hundreds. Therefore do we not fly? Do we ban planes? Of course not. At some point we have to trust adults to be responsible enough to do their jobs right. And also recognize that evil exists, and is like water, it follows the path of least resistance. A determined killer will find a way to kill no matter what the laws are or what implements are avilable to inflict violence. So a good way to prevent mass murder (in addition to reforming the mental health system, violent video games, Tarantinoesque glorification of violence, etc.) is to inject deterrence into the system, such as arming teachers (voluntarily... not everybody has the chops). Just like after 9/11, we allowed pilots to be armed, and put air marshalls on planes. For teachers, the hiring/screening process matters of course, which is why in Texas they have background checks and training requirements to issue concealed carry permits. But look at this one jurisdiction in TX. They have had armed teachers since 2008, and no issues with it. Countries like Israel, Peru, the Philippines, all allow armed teachers and it works. If a teacher in Newtown CT had been armed last Friday, it may have prevented the tragedy or significantly reduced the body count. Look back to the Aurora Batman shooting. There were 6 or 7 theaters in the vicinity of the shooter's home. He picked the one theatre that was a "gun free" zone. Because a gun-free zone equals a defenseless victims zone. Like shooting fish in a barrel for a delusional killer.

December 19, 2012 10:44 am at 10:44 am |

Danny Hunt

STEREOTYPES, DISCRIMINATION, AND HIDING THE CAUSE

1. In Marc Lepine's case the media focused on an Arab Father, while the sociologists, the experts, focused on homelessness. (racial discrimination and prejudice)

2. In Adam Lanza's case the media focused on Mental Illness, while the experts claim that this was not the cause. (discrimination against the mentally ill and prejudice)

STEREOTYPES AND RHETORIC

The pattern is hiding the cause of rage shootings, why?

"a deranged person" "too many guns" these are rhetoric to advocate gun control but not the cause or explanations for rage shootings. This actually reenforces a stereotype against people with mental illness that is already abused intentionally by organized crime.

"we urge the media and professionals who participate in speculative interviews about the motives of the accused shooter to refrain from misleading comments about autism and other neurodevelopmental disabilities. ... (M)isinformation could easily trigger increased prejudice and misunderstanding."

Well parents....most people who commit thse violent crimes and mass shootings do not even have registared guns or consealed weapons liscence. The reason gun man show up to schools is there is no guns and they can kill as many people they can untill police show up...the shakey hand principle does not need to carry a gun but if those who were comfortable and properly trained had one maybe 2 kids killed instead of 20!! Someone could of stoped him! I think with extensive training our kids would be safer if someone were there who could fight against a gunman.

Guns,guns laws are not the solution! The gun didn't jump off the shelf, out of a house or store and shoot people!! A law makes you FEEL safer, but you NOT any safer. Wake up people!! The problem is the individual!!!!

December 19, 2012 10:53 am at 10:53 am |

Lynda/Minnesota

"You anti-gunners judge those who legally and sensibly own firearms in the same manner you judge the odd sick murderer"

I can't speak for anyone other than myself. What I judge are those who are so intent on proving how gun savy they are that they are losing their sense of reality. Those children were gunned down by an individual who obtained his weaponry from his mother. She too thought she was being gun sensible. As are most people who have ever owned a gun, and who, for whatever reason, either didn't properly secure their weapons in an effort to keep it out of the hands of those who would do wrong, or have loaned it another, or simply sold it to an individual they didn't know. Each and every person who has ever killed using a gun got that gun from someone ... either legally or not.

You preach as if many of us against semi automatics have never owned a gun or never shot a gun. It's time for you to realize many of us have. We also understand that in the wrong hands these weapons kill innocent people just going about their daily lives. I for one don't care if you or another so called legal gun owner ever gets the opportunity to purchase a gun again.

The texas gov is very smart. Guns in the wrong hands kill people...with extensive training and a cw permit people could protect themselfs and children. Most gundowns are from criminals with no training and illegal guns. Not from safe conseald weapons holders.so why restrict the law abiding civilian when criminals will find a way to get the firearms and there will be limited civilians to protect you!

December 19, 2012 10:55 am at 10:55 am |

DP

I am a strong proponent that the state of Texas secede quickly. We don't need Texas.

All the tax evasive conservative gun owners can then rapidly migrate there and be in gun heaven and cause trouble in their own country of Texas. Then they can actually start teaching their kids to shoot guns even before they walk, leave guns in cribs, schools, play areas whatever.